The Blind Date
by AkaneKitty
Summary: In order to test their resolve to raise money for a well-deserved charity, Callie and Commander Feral are pushed into an unfathomable situation: Dating each other. With their relationship currently tenuous at best, what happens when they start pressing each other's buttons...and begin to like it? Chapter 8 is up!
1. Decisions, Decisions

Hi everyone! I come bearing a new story! It's called The Blind Date

In order to test their resolve to raise money for a well-deserved charity, Callie and Commander Feral are pushed into an unfathomable situation: Dating each other. With their relationship currently tenuous at best, what happens when they start pressing each other's buttons...and like it?

Author's Note: It's time for a Callie/Feral story! I've always wanted to do a chaptered story featuring them since my other stories about them are one shots. This story will be longer than Drawing the Short Straw/The Calm Before the Storm/Great Escape series of stories. And after the first few chapters, its updates will split time with The Great Escape.

Speaking of which, don't worry Felina/Razor fans! A new chapter will be out soon.

Thanks to ulyferal for being my beta and catching major plot fail on my part since I switched gears away from the original premise of the story.

Hope you all enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date:

Decisions, Decisions

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_Le Chat Café_

The working lunch.

Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs didn't know who came up with the idea, but she felt the kat deserved to be tarred and feathered.

Sighing to herself, Callie picked at her salmon salad. With budget talks revving up and the upcoming gala season looming over the horizon, she simply didn't have to time to just enjoy her lunch. Every day was filled with filing papers, reviewing reports, writing speeches, and keeping Mayor Manx out of trouble.

Across the table her assistant, Danielle White, multitasked eating her fish sandwich and fries lunch with drafting a report on her laptop. A plucky college student from Megakat City University, Danielle was a lean, fawn colored she-kat with hazel eyes. Witty, resourceful, and intelligent, she began her internship with City Hall months ago and made quite an impression, ending up as Callie's assistant. Callie had also used some of Allison's ideas in some minor projects to great success.

Peering over her laptop, Danielle spied the deputy mayor picking at her salad. "You should have gotten the fish croissant Ms. Briggs. I hear it's yummy."

"If only I had your metabolism..." Callie sighed.

"Why?"

"The gala season is coming up. I need to be able to fit into all of my formal gowns."

"You move around way too much to worry about your figure." Danielle pushed her plate of fries over to Callie. "You'll be fine."

Callie stared at the plate for moment before picking up a fry in defeat, dragging it across some ketchup. "How's the report?"

"Almost done."

"Manx's speech?"

"Waiting on your review."

"Good." Callie finished her sixth fry. "Calendar?"

Danielle quickly wiped her paws before reaching into a briefcase located beside her chair. Withdrawing some envelopes, she passed them over to Callie, who sorted them with a clean knife.

"Hmm. Formal dinner...Charity auction...Museum of Natural History Gala..." Callie read aloud. "Confirm this one for me Dani." She pointed at the last one she'd read. "Attending these with Dr. Sinian are always fun."

"Yes, ma'am." Danielle noted it on her laptop. "Um...A lot of these invitations allow for a date. Shall I make a note when I RSVP?"

Callie leaned back in her chair. "I don't know why they even include the accommodation in the invitations they send me. I haven't had a significant other or even a good date in ages."

"Not even a SWAT Kat?"

Callie suppressed a grin. "Might make for interesting company, but I don't think fancy parties are their thing."

"Perhaps."

Callie shuffled through the remaining invitations, indicating to Danielle which ones she might entertain the possibly of attending before finally reaching the last envelope in the stack. It looked distinctly different from the others. Curious, she picked it up.

"What's this?"

Danielle looked up from updating Callie's calendar. "Oh, that came in today. I've never heard of the organization before."

"I have...it's from the Megakat City Altruism Society, a foundation backed by a pawful of local, wealthy katizens." Callie studied the envelope. "It's nearing the end of the tax year, so they're probably trying to get a tax write off by hosting a charity event."

"They can do that?"

"Yes. It keeps them from having to pay higher taxes. Our tax brackets can be pretty unforgiving."

Danielle absorbed the information while Callie extracted the invitation from the envelope.

"A charity...couples gala?"

"Couples? Didn't you say most of the public service sector is single?"

"About 70% of us...yes and no one's gotten married in a while."

"Very odd."

"I'll say. Seems the Altruism Society got bored with the usual events and wanted to do something different."

Danielle plucked the invitation from Callie's paws. "Will you attend?"

"Eh..." Callie rolled her eyes and sighed. "I've done some of these galas before with the public

service crowd but I don't always feel welcome."

"Why's that?"

"Honestly? It appears I ruin some Needy, Clingy, and Desperate she-kat's chance at scoring the 'perfect' tom just by being there. Personally, I'd rather not deal with them giving me the evil eye all night."

"But, Ms. Briggs, it appears the Altruism Society is planning on making the date selections for those attending anonymous so the chosen couples won't know who they're paired with until the planned date. And to make this thing really wacky, they insist the selected couples go on several dates. They apparently want to see who is still together by the time the gala is held," Danielle said, scanning the invitation. "So Needy, Clingy, and Desperate can't blame you since everyone will be in the same boat."

Despite her reservations, Callie was intrigued. "So it's like going on a blind date, but with charity attached so you can't back out at the last second."

"Exactly. And they're making sure of it. The full amount of money promised to selected charities will only be disbursed if the couple is still together at the gala. Otherwise, the couple's selected charity will receive a reduced amount."

"Interesting provision."

"So what do you say? Shall I RSVP for you?"

"I don't know..."

"C'mon Ms. Briggs! You said you've not been on a date in a while, so why not take a chance? At the very least you'll be able to get an escort for some of these other, oh so important, galas." Danielle wheedled, grinning. "Besides, haven't you always said charity looks good on any resume?"

"True. And it's not like I can turn them down without sullying Megakat City Hall's reputation." Callie grinned, giving in gracefully. "All right, put it on my calendar."

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Siamesetown

Commander Ulysses Feral never felt so conflicted.

Sitting in one of his favorite dumpling restaurants, hidden deep within Siamesetown, he reviewed his calendar. He always made it a point to attend as many events hosted by the MKC Altruism Society as possible. They always donated large amounts of money to the Enforcer Widows and Orphans Fund with very little prompting.

The Fund, originally created to provide for the families of Enforcers killed in the line of duty, had been expanded to provide for the severely injured until they were able to return to the force and help maintain and improve morale among his officers.

He would do most anything, even acting like an idiot, in order to keep his Fund solvent. So if he had to make nice with the Altruism Society by attending their functions, so be it.

But this...

This latest Altruism Society function was a couples only gala. And to make things even more interesting, they'd decided to pair up various high level public servant officials without letting the party's involved know who their date for the night would be and have them go on dates before the event.

Shaking his head mentally, Feral guessed they wanted to do something different this time since dinners and auctions can be boring. But an arranged blind date? Come on! They were known for doing some weird events, but this was crossing the line in his mind.

His major objection was his steadfast rule of guarding his privacy, especially when it came to who he dated. He didn't want his love life, or lack thereof, to fuel water cooler chats and being dissected by the press. And, besides that, his fellow officers didn't need any added distractions caused by their commander's off duty behavior.

And he was simply too busy to date. Recent downtime made it possible for the Enforcers to upgrade critical systems and equipment and he needed to be focused as they went through finding bugs and experienced growing pains.

However... he did tire of being with his friends all the time for these events. A companion could break the monotony. But, he didn't think she would be in the public service sector. That was already dominated by Needy, Clingy, and Desperate she-kats.

A plate of dumplings suddenly appeared in Feral's line of sight, along with a kettle of tea. Smiling a bit, he looked up and into a mischievous pair of clear blue eyes.

"I'm supposed to be preparing for the annual fitness test."

"A plate of your favorite dumplings won't ruin your regimen, Commander. Eat!"

Sighing in defeat, Feral picked up a pair of chopsticks as Nuan Shu, owner of the restaurant, sat down across from him. Immigrating from Mao City years ago, the former matchmaker opened the first dumpling restaurant in Megakat City when he was installed as Commander. Later, she would open the Paper Lantern, an exclusive high class restaurant with a month long waiting list.

A petite, mature she-kat, she had a playful energetic spirit. As she reminded him of his mother, Feral found it easy to confide in her.

Nuan smiled, brushing a lock of black hair streaked with grey away from her face. "Looks like you wanted someone to talk to."

"Sort of." Despite some guilt, Feral dug into the plate of steamed shrimp dumplings. "I'm in a delicate situation."

"Oh?"

"There's a charity event that could possibly boost my Enforcer Widows and Orphans Fund. And I have a personal note which promises a six figure amount if I agree to do the event."

"But..."

The event's a couples only gala with a twist. The organizers plan to set me up with a blind date and I'm supposed to take this person on several dates before the gala. The catch is we must still be a couple by the actual gala to receive the full amount for our charities otherwise, the amount will be reduced."

"I see the problem." Nuan crossed her arms. "As long as I've known you, you've never liked kats poking their noses into your love life. Even your friends."

Feral nodded, finishing eating a dumpling.

"But you're also dedicated to keeping the Fund solvent. A six figure donation is hard to turn down on principle."

"So you see my dilemma."

Nuan grinned. "Commander, who was your last significant other?"

"Major Pei Pei Umano from the Mao City Corsairs."

"How long ago?"

"About a year and a half."

"There's your answer."

Feral nearly dropped his chopsticks in confusion. "What?"

"You've been out of the game for too long Commander...married to the job out of necessity." Nuan pointed out.

"Yes, but what has that to do with this?"

She sighed and tsked at him. "You need to get back out there. You're not getting any younger. And you may never get another chance when things around here are quiet." Nuan flicked an ear. "It's only a few dates. It won't kill you."

Feral found himself agreeing with her logic but he hated being manipulated. "You think so?"

"Take it from a former matchmaker with a 95% success rate." Nuan pushed the tea kettle over to Feral. "Remember: All work and no play..."

"I know, I know." Feral smiled despite himself. "Thanks Ms. Shu."

"Enjoy your meal. I'll keep a table open at the Paper Lantern for you."

Giving him a parting smile, Nuan stood up, reached over to pat him on the shoulder before walking away to attend to other customers. Placing his chopsticks down on his plate, Feral retrieved his smartphone from his pocket and began clearing space on his calendar.

"It's only a few dates, Ulysses, so swallow your pride and do it for the good of the Fund." Feral muttered to himself as he made notes to remind Connie, his secretary, to RSVP for him.

"I mean, it's not like I'm going to be dating the Deputy Mayor, right?"


	2. Shock and Awe

Hello everyone! Here's chapter two of The Blind Date

Feral and Callie prepare for their blind date...and end up with the shock of their lives.

Author's note: The original premise for this story was to be a oneshot, but I wanted a chaptered story. Also, they would get put together at a charity auction.

Feral drives a Cameo, a sports car, which comes from a feline term I looked up.

You might see some overlapping characters from the Drawing the Short Straw series in this story. Already you've seen Mao City, along with Pei Pei Umano. You don't have to know about them, it's just a bonus for those who follow my work. This story stands on its own.

Thanks to all who read! And thanks to my beta ulyferal for keeping my plot straight.

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date:

Shock and Awe

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_Mao City Consulate_

"I object to the choice made for Commander Feral."

"Noted. But remember, as a junior member of the Altruism Society, your objection does not carry any weight."

Sighing inwardly, Wei Shu cradled his phone against his face as he sat in his office. As the Mao City Ambassador to Megakat City, he preferred meeting kats face to face. The Altruism Society, however, preferred conference calls.

"So they have no problem making the Commander work hard for his charity? Everyone knows about their somewhat volatile history!"

"All of the couples will be working hard for their respective charities," the gruff voice on the other end of the line replied. "The senior members just thought it would be amusing to place him with the Deputy Mayor."

Shu rolled his eyes, struggling not to "Nyk!" at the tom.

Throughout the previous conference calls, the senior members made it clear how gleeful they were about this particular event and how much they wished they could be the fly on the wall when this pair had their first date. As he considered himself a peer to the Commander, he thought it best to log his objections to the way they were running roughshod over Feral.

The Mao City Corsairs and the Enforcers cross training strengthened both organizations. And staying on the Commander's good side ensured their working relationship would not be compromised especially when important issues cropped up. Feral could easily think this was a backhanded slap by Shu, so he had to make certain he at least appeared not to be in collusion with his superiors on this thing they planned.

"Be easy, Shu. Feral is not being singled out remember? All the couples are being sent on the same number of dates to make it all fair. And just like the others, the Commander will receive his promised amount of money if he makes it through to the Gala with his assigned date. End of subject. Goodbye."

The line went dead. Shu rolled his eyes as he put his phone away. A moment later his mother, Nuan, came into his office holding a mug of tea. She flicked her ear.

"You look distressed."

"I was objecting to a choice the senior members of the Altruism Society made for a friend of mine." Shu sighed and leaned back in his chair. "But since I'm a junior member I can't change anything."

"Ah. So that's why the Commander called me earlier today."

"He did?"

"Yes. Since I talked him into this charity blind date thing, I offered him a table at the Paper Lantern." Nuan tilted her head and eyed her son critically. "Is something wrong?"

Shu hesitated, knowing he really shouldn't mention the pairings, but he trusted his mother to be discrete. "The Society paired the Commander with the Deputy Mayor."

"Oh. They're really making the Commander work for it this year."

"Pretty much."

Nuan's ear twitched again then she smiled. "Wei, next time the Altruism Society meets and before the Gala, offer them a little bet."

"A bet?" Wei was confused. "What about?"

"That the Commander and the Deputy Mayor will remain a couple all the way to the Couple's Gala. And, if you're right, that the Society dumps even more money into the Widows and Orphans Fund and they make you a senior member."

"That's a tall order..." Wei looked up to see a knowing glint in his mother's eyes. "Wait! You're slipping back into your matchmaker role, aren't you?"

"I just have a feeling, Wei," Nuan said, smiling sweetly. "Trust me."

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A week later...

"I can't believe you talked me into this Dani."

"Yeah? Well it's too late to back out now, Ms. Briggs."

Amused, Callie stared at her reflection in the mirror. An impromptu meeting regarding a new retail sales district forced her to stay at city hall until the early evening leaving her no time to return home to change. Danielle was still here and volunteered to run to Callie's condo and retrieve everything her boss needed for her date.

While Callie might have preferred getting ready in the comfort of her home, she admitted having Danielle at paw for moral support made getting ready for this nerve-wracking blind date much easier to cope with. It certainly wasn't something she could share with either Ann or Abi.

Luckily, she had been able to make time on her lunch break to run down to her favorite salon to have her hair styled and pinned up. But as she stared down at her outfit, a deep purple and black strapless cocktail dress with a sheer overlay, she felt a little uncomfortable. Doing a small twirl, she shook her head.

"I just don't know..."

Danielle looked up from arranging Callie's bracelets. "Don't know what?"

"The whole outfit! It's way shorter than what I normally wear. And all the exposed fur! I'm not prudish but still..."

"Well, you're rocking the outfit. It shows off your great figure and your legs." Danielle laughed as she passed the bracelets over to Callie, who then slipped them on. "And since you told me to pick up your stilettos and your contacts, I think you've been more than ready for this date."

Callie smiled. "Okay. Maybe I have been looking forward to it just a little."

"Know where you're going?" Danielle asked, excitement gleaming in her eyes. "I have the limo waiting for you."

"I meet my date in the lobby of the Aristotle Hotel. And no, I still don't know who the tom is."

"The Altruism Society's really keeping it close to the vest, aren't they?"

"Apparently so. Don't get all the secrecy, but philanthropists tend to be eccentric." Callie picked up her clutch. "You know what to do?"

"File the reports, finish Manx's speech, and call you immediately if Mayor Manx tries to sell Megakat City to Mr. Young."

"Very good." Callie smiled. "I'm leaving now. Can you call down to the limo driver for me?"

"Yes, ma'am." Danielle called after her as Callie left her office. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

"Watch it, Danielle."

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Feral felt like the world was conspiring against him.

It never failed. Just when something interesting turned up in his personal life, Megakat City decided it wanted to have a fit. First, it was a near riot at the docks regarding workers demanding their overtime pay. Then, there was a three alarm fire in the warehouse district in which his investigation and ground defense majors decided to get into a pissing contest over who had the authority to issue BOLOs, otherwise known as Be On the Look Out orders, to street patrols. And, the final annoyance was the SWAT Kats managing to crack his communication encryption protocols for the fourth time this week!

Sighing, Feral shifted gears for his car, a sporty two seat Cameo, which was, surprisingly, large enough to fit his frame. He rarely had time to drive the car and it was a minor miracle he was able to get to his secondary home in Megakat Springs to retrieve it. At least the drive back to Megakat City would allow him to settle down. Even though he was always "on the job" as Commander, he knew he had to separate his work from his personal life otherwise he wouldn't be a very good date.

He mentally reviewed his plans for the evening. The Altruism Society arranged for his date to be waiting for him in the lobby of the Aristotle Hotel. What was with all the cloak and dagger secrecy?

He was certain the name of his date would get out among the public service sector in lightning fast fashion (as always), everyone would have a good laugh, he would date her as expected all the way to the gala event then, hopefully, six figures would be deposited into the Fund's account and that would be that. If it turned out he liked his date, then all the better for future functions.

Turning a corner, he pulled into the hotel's garage. He hoped he wasn't too under-dressed. He took up Ms. Shu's offer of a table at The Paper Lantern. And while The Paper Lantern wasn't posh, it was a bit exclusive. So hopefully the simple black suit would work.

And if the date went bad, he would at least be able to eat some good food.

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Callie stood in the lounge of the hotel, watching a clock mounted on a wall.

She was a bit early for her blind date due to the fact her driver drove like he had his tail on fire. Maybe he had a hot date tonight, too.

Nervously she fiddled with the hem of her dress. It was the waiting which was the worst. All it made her do is second guess herself. Like about her dress, her shoes, and whether or not she should have agreed to this whole thing in the first place.

Suddenly, she heard steps coming up behind her. Turning toward the sound she squinted a little to try and see the identity of the tom bearing down on her as the lounge was dimly lit. Then it hit her...

"Commander?"

Feral stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard Callie's voice. Staring at her it had taken him a second to register this was definitely the Deputy Mayor. Without her glasses and her hair done up, she looked quite different.

"Ms. Briggs?" He groaned inwardly. Someone at the Society was having a good laugh right about now. He just knew it.


	3. The Unexpected

Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter of The Blind Date:

While Feral and Callie didn't expect to be paired up, they realize it could have been a lot worse. And Feral is surprised with his developing attraction to the Deputy Mayor.

Author's Note: Thanks for all reviews! Thank you, too, Papercut.

Poor Feral and Callie..set up for other's amusement.

Not too many Author's notes this time. I'm having a lot of fun writing this. And this series are in chunks for the time being.

As always, I welcome your reviews. Hope you like it!

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date

The Unexpected

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Silence hung between them, born out of mutual shock and disbelief.

Feral was certain the Society was having a good laugh at his and Callie's expense. In fact, he wouldn't put it past them to have a hidden camera in the lounge to witness this meeting. They were really making him work hard for their charity this year.

But...to be honest, he couldn't be too disappointed with their selection. After all, Ms. Briggs was far and above Clingy, Needy, and Desperate as a suitable date, despite their antagonistic history.

Shock wearing off, Feral slid his eyes over his date's profile. He was surprised by how little Callie was wearing.

An attractive she-kat in the first place, she always maintained a professional air in her well fitted business suits which carried over into the evening gowns he'd seen her in. But there was nothing professional about that dress.

How had he missed how amazing her figure was or how shapely? And that purple number wrapped around her left little to the imagination. It looked sexy and hugged all the right places. And if it weren't for her brilliant green eyes, no longer covered by those huge glasses, capturing his gaze, he'd be staring at her significant cleavage.

_Hmm...Very nice. Maybe purple could become my new favorite color._

Surprised with himself, Feral mentally shook his head. Stop it, Ulysses. You're beginning to sound like all the other toms who drool after her in public. Just keep your mind on raising money for the Widows and Orphans Fund and less time on Calico's legs, and you'll be fine.

Realizing he'd been staring at her for a solid five minutes, he quickly cleared his throat. "So...I assume the Society arranged for you to be here?"

Callie shifted her gaze from a rather pointed stare at his chest to his face and Feral suddenly had trouble staying focused. "Yes. And I assume you're my date for the next few months?"

"Looks like it."

Surprisingly, Feral couldn't detect a hint of disappointment in Callie's voice. Even though his ego could have taken it, he couldn't really blame her if she was. However, all he sensed was an undercurrent of relief instead. Maybe she was happy she wasn't matched with Fire/Rescue Chief Bombay. Although he considered the Chief a friend, the tom was a well known pervert.

"So..." Callie gripped her clutch, "...what do we do now?"

"The instructions stated it would be my choice on this first date, so I made reservations. In fact, we should leave right now." Feral extended his arm toward her. "Shall we?"

Still a little dazed, Callie stepped to his side and slipped her arm through his, allowing Feral to guide her to the hotel's garage. As they walked, she managed to shake off her haze of shock.

Feral was her date? Really? Someone had a cruel sense of humor, she thought. They weren't always on the best of terms, so why would anyone think they could ever be a couple?

But strangely, she didn't feel disappointed. Sure she got herself all dressed up and while Feral wasn't exactly what she'd expected, he was a lot better than what she could have gotten...like Chief Bombay. She mentally shuddered. The tom's preference for young she-kats was disturbing.

Casting a side glance toward Feral, Callie tried to keep up with the Commander's long stride while balancing on her stilettos. She had never seen him outside his uniform, regular or dressed. The black suit he wore, although deceptively simple, had to have been tailored to match his frame. And yet it made the already handsome tom look sexy.

Maybe he should be out of uniform more often.

Immediately, Callie felt herself flushing and was relieved Feral was distracted with pulling his keys out of his pocket. Finally in the garage, they stopped before a black vehicle. Her eyes lit up in recognition.

"A Cameo! The newer model special edition!" Callie detached herself from Feral to get a better look. "V8 engine, hard top convertible, and a luxury package which includes leather seats."

Feral was impressed. "Very good. You know cars?"

"I dated a tom that liked playing with his cars more than working. His enthusiasm stuck." Callie glanced back at Feral. "But you can actually fit into this car?"

"It's one of life's greatest mysteries." A faint smile flitted across Feral's face. "Actually, a Cameo is the only sports car which fits my frame."

Bemused, Callie watched Feral walk to the Cameo's passenger door. So the Commander had a sense of humor...barely... and certainly dry but it was there. How interesting.

Feral opened the passenger door and inclined his head toward her. "Shall we?"

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Minutes later they were on the road, driving on the main thoroughfare which connected the various districts within Megakat City.

Although he mostly kept his attention on the road, Feral found himself glancing at his lovely passenger from time to time. Callie, obviously enjoying the ride, seemed to be at a level below giddiness as she gazed out the window. The Cameo was known for its leg room, and every so often she would cross her legs. The problem was that her hemline slowly inched upward as she did so.

She really did have nice legs.

Feral forced himself to focus on the road ahead of him. Either the Deputy Mayor, of all she-kats, was pressing buttons he didn't know he had or he'd indeed been out of the game too long as Ms. Shu had asserted. He settled on being out of the game too long. There was no way Calico could trigger such a reaction normally.

As he drove with the radio off from force of habit, silence loomed between them again. This would have to change. But other than work, city issues, and arguing about the SWAT Kats, what could they talk about?

Feral spied an opening in the lane next to him and accelerated to pass a slow moving car. "What's so interesting out there?"

"Nothing." Callie replied. "I'm just resisting the urge to roll down the window and ruin my hairdo."

"Oh?"

"It's a nice night. Car rides can be fun." Callie gave Feral a sly look. "Especially in a convertible that can go from zero to sixty in three seconds."

"Always figured you for a speed demon."

Callie casually shrugged. "So where are we going?"

"The Paper Lantern. Hope you like Siamese food."

"Really? I've always wanted to try it but could never find the time to go with a friend." Callie paused for a moment. "But how could you get reservations? I thought they had a long waiting list?"

"I know the owner, Ms. Nuan Shu, personally. She offered me a table."

"Ms. Shu, mother of Mao City Ambassador Wei Shu, was the figurehead for a group of Siamese families petitioning City Hall to create the Siamesetown district." Callie recalled. "Now it's one of our most profitable districts."

"She also makes great dumplings. I met her when she opened up her dumpling restaurant years ago."

"So that old saying about law enforcement knowing about all the good places to eat is true?"

"Of course. It's one of the perks of the job. We'll never get bad food."

"Any other perks?"

"Well," Feral's small smile returned, "it allows me to date the Deputy Mayor for charity."

Was he teasing her or being serious? Callie didn't know for certain. He always appeared to be stoic, unless the SWAT Kats were involved. However, it did seem like that small sense of humor was making more of an appearance as time passed.

He also seemed to be taking notice of her legs. Not in an indecent way, but his eyes kept drifting toward them. Well the dress _was_short.

Did he like what he saw? Maybe there was a normal tom underneath the Enforcer uniform after all.

"I think it would be awkward for me to call you Ms. Briggs on our dates," Feral observed, breaking into Callie's thoughts. "Do you mind if I call you Calico?"

_Calico_? Callie blinked, confused. "Not Callie?"

"Everyone calls you Callie. I prefer Calico."

"Why's that?"

"I think it's a beautiful name."

Was he teasing her again? Callie knew she was going to have to figure Feral out. And the dinner was a good place to start. She smiled.

"Okay, Ulysses. Calico will do. But there's one last thing."

"...Which is?"

Callie smirked turning back to gaze out the window. "I hope you liked my legs."


	4. Don't Tease

Hello everyone! New chapter time!

At The Paper Lantern, Callie discovers there's more to Feral than she realizes.

Author's notes: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm glad people are enjoying this.

Callie's drink, a French 75, is composed of cognac and champagne. There are different versions of the drink, but this is the one I use for story purposes. It can also be very expensive.

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date:

Don't Tease

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_The Paper Lantern_

The Paper Lantern wasn't anything Callie thought it would be.

Relaxing in her seat and sipping tea, she watched Koi jump in a pond located next to the courtyard botanical garden. Most restaurants had an open floor plan, with as many tables crammed into the space as possible. The Paper Lantern was composed of rice paper paneled rooms, which held a table each. The rooms, along with larger rooms to accommodate groups, surrounded the courtyard.

Their reserved room, which offered the view of the courtyard, held a single square table topped with red tablecloth.

_Elegantly simple_, Callie thought.

As he was seating them their maître d' explained how in the past prominent Mao City katizens valued their privacy but also wanted to entertain their guests. Restaurants like The Paper Lantern were built to accommodate them.

_No wonder the restaurant had a month long waiting list_, Callie thought. _Privacy is at a premium in Megakat City._

She also noticed how Feral deliberately took the seat facing the sliding rice paper door leading into their room. Force of habit, he said in response to her look. She'd bet a week's pay that he was armed. A Commander was always on duty, but did he ever have a chance to fully relax? She was always insanely busy trying to keep Manx out of trouble but that was nothing compared to the pressures of his job. In a small way, she felt sympathy for him.

Startled by her sudden warm feeling for him, she returned her attention to her beverage menu lying on the table. There were no prices listed. How would she be able to decide what to get? A proper she-kat wouldn't get the most expensive item or the cheapest for that matter. And considering Feral's current salary, and the fact she knew he had deferred his raise for the past few years...

Feral's eyes never left his own menu. "Order whatever you like Calico."

"Eh?"

"You're running my salary through your head." Bemused, Feral put his menu down and eyed her keenly. "And the fact I deferred my raise for a few years."

"Oh..." Callie didn't try to hide her blush and surprise that he'd read her so easily. "I'm sorry. A deputy mayor has to know key salaries for budgetary reasons. This means I know every public servant's salary in the whole city."

"No offense taken. So what will you have?"

"Hmm...How about a French 75?"

Feral smiled to himself. "Depending on how it's made, a French 75 can be the cheapest drink or the most expensive."

Placing her teacup back in its saucer, Callie looked at Feral coyly. "It's also a good way to gauge your date's true intentions."

"Is that so?" Leaning forward so he could rest his arms on the table, Feral dropped his voice a dangerous octave. "You didn't see me flinch, did you?"

Feeling flustered, Callie turned her attention back to the Koi pond. While she was used to his normal speaking voice and hearing him yell at parade ground decibels, the voice he used just now was very...arousing. It was interesting. She wasn't normally attracted to a tom's voice, but Feral's voice was on a different level.

Or maybe she was attracted to the fact he didn't flinch.

To her relief, their room's door slid open and a tom walked in carrying a tray. The tray appeared to hold a plate of dumplings. Behind him a she-kat walked in whom Callie recognized as Ms. Nuan Shu. The petite she-kat, wearing a deep blue traditional Siamese fitted dress, bowed her head toward Callie.

"Ms. Briggs, welcome to the Paper Lantern," Shu said, smiling. "I will personally take care of your order this evening."

"Why didn't I get a welcome like that?" Feral chuckled. Shu nyked at him.

"Because I've known you for years and you're getting a plate of your favorite shrimp dumplings Commander. Now hush."

"So I'm supposed to share? I can finish this plate all by myself."

As Shu launched into what appeared to be blistering Siamese, Callie struggled to suppress a laugh. Feral's hidden sense of humor was peeking through again. He also seemed to relax a bit, too. Maybe banter with a long time acquaintance helped to loosen the coil.

She also noted Feral was responding to Shu, rather dryly, in Siamese. Interesting...

"...In any event, do you have any idea what you'd like to eat, Ms. Briggs?" Shu, after shootng Feral a withering look, returned her attention back to Callie. "I could suggest something for you."

"I'm not sure." Callie eyed the neglected menu lying on the table. "I'm only used to Siamese takeout and I know it's vastly different from authentic Siamese food."

"How about Peking duck?" Feral suggested. "It's sharable and is a nice introductory dish."

Shu smiled. "Good choice, Commander." She snapped her claws and a waiter appeared at her side, writing furiously on a notepad. "I assume you want everything?"

"Steamed pancakes, plum sauce, the works."

"And your drinks?"

Feral recited Callie's drink choice, and added a beer for himself. Shu pointedly stared at him before Feral sighed in exasperation.

"The best vintages for Calico's drink, please."

Shu smiled again. "I knew you had it in you."

"What kind of tom do you take me for? I am not a cheapskate!"

This time Callie did laugh as Shu bowed toward the table then left the room with her waiters, quietly sliding the door closed behind them. Shaking his head and picking up his chopsticks, Feral plated some dumplings for Callie before serving himself.

As Callie picked up her own chopsticks, she noted Feral's manners. They were perfect. It wasn't something you would pick up in everyday meetings. It was the little things that stood out, like plating her food before himself. It was nice...and appreciated.

Feral dipped a dumpling in some sauce. "You seem to be deep in thought."

"I am."

"About..."

Callie sat back in her chair. "How long have we known each other Ulysses?"

"Hmm. I'm coming up on my service anniversary, so about eight years."

"And what exactly do we know about each other?"

"...Not much."

"I was just thinking it takes a rather intimate dinner to find out you drive a sports car and can speak Siamese."

Feral stared at his plate of dumplings rather uneasily. "Perhaps a little too intimate, but I see your point."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "Uncomfortable, are we? This seems out of character for a tom who openly stared at my legs."

Feral leveled his gaze at Callie. It was intense and Callie found herself feeling flustered again. A faint smile crossing his face, Feral's very familiar baritone voice went even deeper.

"Don't tease."

What was it with his voice? It was very arousing...again. But despite immediately feeling quite hot, Callie forced herself to match Feral's gaze. There was no way she was going to let this tom win the battle. Leaning forward so Feral could get a good look at her cleavage, she ran a claw along the edge of her teacup.

"...Or what?"

Intrigued with this battle of wills Feral smiled to himself. Playing hardball, is she? Well, he always loved a challenge.

However, before he could do or say anything further their room's door slide open and their waiter appeared, holding their drinks. The intense mood broke and Callie immediately busied herself with eating her dumplings.

After thanking the waiter, Feral did the same, admonishing himself. _Settle down, Ulysses. No matter how much of a challenge the Deputy Mayor is, you are not that desperate._


	5. Getting to Know You

Hello everyone! New chapter time!

While enjoying Peking Duck Callie and Feral find out interesting, and rather surprising, things about each other.

Author's notes: Thanks so much for the reviews! I've always wanted to write a nice story for my favorite pairing, and I'm glad people are enjoying it as much as I am.

Even though he tries to fight it, Feral's really attracted to Callie isn't he? Why?

I have a small explanation for a word I used in this chapter, but it's probably best to explain it in the next chapter.

I hope everyone likes this! Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date

Getting to Know You

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"...It isn't fair."

"Pardon?"

"It's not fair, Ulysses. How can you eat Peking Duck skin topped with plum sauce and wrapped in a thin pancake only using your chopsticks?"

Feral allowed himself a rare chuckle. Peking Duck was a dish where one could use their paws in addition to their chopsticks. Callie had opted for paws to eat her duck "burrito" as she called it, while he had chosen to use his chopsticks.

"I've had lots of practice," he coolly replied. For emphasis, Feral picked up another burrito he had made. "Mrs. Shu called me an expert."

Callie's face twisted into a pretty pout as she opted to try some of the duck meat. "I call it showing off."

Feral chuckled again. Her pout was very cute.

It was interesting. Very few she-kats challenged 'The Look' as he and his brothers called it. Either they got embarrassed and flustered, or it led to more...'interesting' things. But to directly challenge him?

He just might have to take his chances.

An instant later he nearly choked on his food. Say what! Why am I even thinking that? he thought in alarm. Get your mind on track here, Ulysses! He warned himself.

Returning his concentration to his food, he let silence fill the room. After a few minutes and feeling calmer, Feral allowed his gaze to wander, eyes ending up lingering on Callie's lovely form.

What is wrong with me tonight? He mentally shook himself. While Callie was indeed very attractive, and her challenge was a definite turn on, he wasn't falling for it.

"So Calico..." he began, adding plum sauce to his plate, "Since you said we don't know much about each other, let's play Twenty Questions."

Callie looked up from her plate. "What would you like to know?"

"How did you end up working for an idiot like Manx."

"It wasn't on purpose. I started as an intern, then a clerk, and worked my way up." Callie sighed, reaching for her second French 75 of the evening. "I was just trying to get experience in public service for a different type of job I was interested in. But I couldn't possibly leave my position now."

"And leave us solely in Manx's paws? I'm not sure I could have handled the resulting anarchy."

Callie laughed softly, and Feral found himself enjoying it. It was strange...he rarely heard her laugh, and yet he wanted to hear more of it. Why?

"My turn!" Callie's voice broke into his thoughts. "On the same note, what made _you _get into law enforcement? Was it a family tradition, seeing how Felina's an Enforcer as well?"

"Hey, that's two questions."

Callie smiled, looking pleased with herself. "Indulge me."

A small smile tugged his mouth at that. "Actually, Felina and I are the first Ferals to get into law enforcement. My family is in the importing and exporting business. We ship goods all over the world."

"If your family's into imports and exports, you must be from the coastal city-state of Ailuros."

"Very good."

Callie leaned forward with interest. "So would you be considered one of those rich shipping heirs?"

"Who knows?" Feral smiled again. "Stick around and maybe you'll find out."

Callie looked a little confused causing Feral to chuckle inwardly as he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of duck meat. Of course, he couldn't tell her the Feral family controlled a good portion of the world's major shipping lanes, or how the family fortune could operate five city-states.

However, it would be nice to finally have _someone_ to reveal his fortune to. He got close with Pei Pei but never told her, although he suspected she already knew. That she-kat was an excellent intelligence officer.

"As for getting into law enforcement...," he continued, dragging his piece of meat through some plum sauce, "...it was an unexpected choice."

"Oh?"

"When I was a teenager, I was the rebellious middle kitten between two brothers. I falsely thought my parents didn't care about me since it seemed as if my older brother or younger brother got all their attention."

Callie blinked, nearly dropping her chopsticks. "You? Rebellious?"

"Mmm, hmm."

"In what way?"

"All the typical tom stuff. Getting into fights, skipping school, drinking and smoking before I was legally allowed to." Feral took a pull from his beer. "That was the extent of my law breaking ways, though. I wasn't stupid."

Callie leaned forward again. "Anything else?"

"Chasing she-kats." Giving Callie intense eye contact, Feral deepened his voice and purred, "I was the tom your mother warned you about."

Blushing slightly, Callie instantly dropped her gaze and busied herself with her plate. Feral realized what he was doing, blinked then cleared his throat to cover his discomfort_. Just stop it, Ulysses_.

"Soon my parents had enough and gave me two options: Either join my school's junior ROTC or go to boarding school to straighten up," he continued, rather quickly. "I didn't want to go to boarding school, so I selected the junior ROTC. And the rest, as they say, is history."

"And that's it?" Seemingly recovered, Callie was looking interested again. "You just accepted strict rules and being yelled at?"

"Not at first. But then I discovered the joys of yelling at other kats once I made rank. It sealed the deal."

Callie laughed again. Feral found himself beginning to truly enjoy his evening. While Callie wasn't exactly who he thought he would get, she was making this blind date for charity a lot more agreeable for him. Maybe it would be worth it to put more effort into future dates.

Still smiling, Callie opted to try some of the vegetables which accompanied the duck. She never expected to hear the, oh so strict Commander, to be rebellious in his youth, or chase she-kats for that matter. But then she never expected him to be so flirtatious tonight either. Maybe it was the atmosphere, but there was a romantic and engaging tom underneath the Enforcer's hard shell. Perhaps as the dates continued, she could see if she could drag it out.

"So..." Feral broke into Callie's thoughts. "Since you said becoming Deputy Mayor was an accident, what were you planning to do?"

"Work in a big corporation somewhere. My degrees are in finance and administration."

"...A party she-kat in college?"

"I wish!" Callie scoffed. "I was way too busy trying to work and get my degrees since my scholarships didn't cover all of my tuition. As soon as I was able, I became a bartender in order to make more money."

It was Feral's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You were a bartender?"

"Yes. The hours were flexible and it at least allowed me a little bit of college life. The money wasn't so bad either."

Feral finished off his beer. "Because you received lots of tips since you were so cute."

"Is that how it works?" Callie looked a bit sly. "No wonder I was getting phone numbers as well."

"Any signature drinks?"

"One. I called it The Toad Licker."

"...The what?"

"The Toad Licker. I made it so strong my bar imposed a two drink limit. She-kats loved it because they could order one and nurse it all night and toms tried to show how tough they were by downing it like a shot."

"What was in it?"

"Not telling." Callie shook her head. "I'll need something to fall back on if Manx loses his reelection bid."

"Manx will never lose a reelection bid," Feral scoffed. "The katizens all know you're the one running his office so they don't care if he continues to hold the position as long as you aren't replaced."

"Nice to know I'm appreciated," Callie snorted, amused and surprised. After a moment's pause, she stared at him and frowned a little. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"That we're having such a nice conversation that doesn't include work. All our usual interaction is about crime statistics, patrol routes...," Callie shifted her eyes to her plate, looking uneasy as she added, "...or other things."

Knowing "other things" meant the SWAT Kats, Feral opted to be cordial. "There's always the budget. I have three concessions this year I intend to use."

"Concessions can be negotiated."

"You can take my budget concessions from my cold dead paws," he deadpanned.

Callie laughed. Feral decided, at that moment, he liked listening to that sound rather than their normal arguing. "Let's make a deal. We don't discuss work on our 'dates' unless we absolutely must. Like if I have to pull Chief Bombay's tail out of the fire. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Callie smiled warmly, pushing her plate away. "So what's for desert?"

"Red bean soup. You'll like it."

"...You're going to kill my figure."

"Your figure is just fine," he said without thought then noticed the smirk on Callie's face. "Wait...I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

Callie smirked, finishing off her French 75. "Yes, you did," she said sweetly.


	6. An Unexpected End

Hello! New chapter time!

As Callie wonders how to end her enjoyable date with Feral, an unexpected event takes the decision out of her paws.

Author's note: Holy crap I haven't updated this since July? Someone poke me when it starts going after two months!

Sorry for the long delay! I hit a rut creatively and I could not write anything for a while. Plus I got busy as my twins started preschool.

I've gotten a large number of favs and author alerts in the past months and I say thank you! I'm glad people are enjoying my stories.

Ailuros, the city-state Felina and Feral hail from, is the Greek word for cat. It's where ailurophobe and ailurophile come from. Just working with Feral's first name.

As always, I welcome all reviews and comments.

Enjoy!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date:

An Unexpected End

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Callie slowly slowed stirred a spoonful of sugar into her after dinner tea. Digestive tea, Ms. Shu explained when she came to check up on them.

Waiters were clearing the table, so Callie focused on her tea. She didn't quite know what to do with herself. Who knew Feral would turn out to be such a great date? She had a really nice time, and it was very surprising. Normally this would dictate if an evening would end on a more pleasurable note but when your date happens to be the Commander of the Enforcers... well...

She stole a glance at Feral who had already finished his tea and was chatting with the waiters in Siamese. The tom looked relaxed and rather ... contented? She couldn't recall seeing him like this before and wasn't quite sure how to quantify the expression he was wearing but a growing part of her was happy to see it.

The waiters suddenly filed out with the couple's dishes, leaving a quite that hung in the air for some minutes.

Deciding to break it, Callie asked, "So what happens now?"

"We wait for the Society to contact us," Feral replied promptly. "I'm sure they'll arrange a few of our dates for their own amusement now that we passed the first date then we try to survive until the Gala."

"Think we will?"

"Who knows?" He casually shrugged. "But I do like a challenge."

Challenge? Is that what he thought this was? Nothing else? Callie thought, feeling her face burn. Trying to regain her composure, she stared down at her tea. Of course this is a challenge, Calico, she chided herself. A challenge involving a lot of much needed money. Why else would the Society place the two of us together? And just what did she expect Feral to say?

"...You almost look like you don't know what to do with yourself."

Feral's voice snapped Callie back to reality. She glanced up to see him eying her keenly. "What makes you say that?"

"You've been staring into your teacup for the past few minutes."

Callie inwardly cringed. Was she being so obvious? "I was just thinking."

"Hmm?"

"I..." Callie fidgeted with the hem of her dress, "...I had a really nice time tonight."

"I'm glad." Feral looked a bit thoughtful. "I did, too."

"It's been far too long since a tom with manners took me out on a nice date. Even if he did keep staring at my legs."

"Well, you are wearing a lot less than what I'm used to. Not that I'm complaining, of course."

Callie blushed slightly. "...The dress is a bit short."

"You should dress down more often. Your suits cover too much of your fur..." An odd expression flashing in his eyes that Callie couldn't quite place, "...and your figure."

Suddenly feeling exposed, Callie resisted the urge to wrap herself with her arms. "I could say the same of you, Mr. I-sleep-in-my-uniform. This is the first time I've seen you out of uniform the entire time I've known you."

"I don't sleep in my uniform!"

"You could've fooled me!"

Feral sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Let's just say it's something we both need to work on, okay?"

"Deal." Callie leaned forward slightly. "So, would a reformed she-kat chaser know what to do with himself?"

"...Who said I was reformed?"

"I never see any current victims..."

"Calico, as one gets older and moves up in rank, you get pickier and more discrete." Feral gave her a milder version of his look. "But you don't stop."

Feeling flustered again Callie hid by picking up her teacup. That look ... less intense this time, but still a very effective weapon, she was forced to admit. I shouldn't be feeling this way ... though I am beginning to enjoy his rather focused attention. Then again, maybe it was the French 75s talking.

Feral glanced down at his watch. "Hmm...Didn't realize it was this late."

"Have a curfew?"

"Do you?"

"Only if you're enforcing the youth curfew. But fortunately, I'm not under the age of sixteen." Callie replied casually, pausing to sip her tea, "So you'll have to figure out another way to get me into your handcuffs."

A flash of surprise lit Feral's face before returning to its normally unruffled expression.

Gotcha! Feeling triumphant, Callie continued sipping her tea. She was shocked at herself for being so flirtatious, but the reaction she'd gotten was soo worth it.

"...In any event," Feral cleared his throat after a moment's pause, "it's not like I have anything more interesting to occupy my time. Barring normal shifts and emergencies of course."

"Oh? What else would you doing?"

Feral stared into Callie's eyes and saw the same conclusion come to her as it did himself. "Paperwork."

"Ugh!" Callie shuddered. "Don't mention that word!"

"Too late." Feral rubbed his temples with his claws. "I have a stack of reports I need to sign off on waiting on me at headquarters."

"I have three speeches to review plus looking over the preliminary budget."

"You don't write Manx's speeches anymore?"

"My assistant does. She's great at capturing his voice." Callie sighed. "But it's still mind numbing work."

"Can you tell her to cut the speeches down to five minutes?"

"I do, but Manx loves to embellish. You know how he is."

"...Sounds like we're in a bit of a rut."

"You think?"

Feral looked thoughtful again. "Perhaps we should remedy that."

Before Callie could ask him how, she heard the familiar buzzing of a cell phone. Feral fished his out of his jacket pocket and looked at the screen before answering it.

Did a look of sadness cross his face before returning to his normally stoic look? She wasn't quite sure...and a part of her felt sorry for him.

"Feral...No, don't apologize. I know you wouldn't call unless it was important." Feral listened for a moment. "The situation is contained for now? Good. ETA is fifteen minutes. Make sure no one breaches the perimeter."

Feral signed off, and Callie waited patiently until he put his phone away. "Problem?"

"You know the protest at the docks earlier today?" She nodded. "Now they're protesting at the Mao City Embassy."

"Oh..."

"My Enforcers have everything currently contained in the Embassy District and the protestors haven't breached the embassy grounds. It's been mostly a peaceful protest." Feral explained. "But they need to disperse. All we need is one idiot to rile the crowd into doing something illegal and we get a riot on our paws. I'm heading over there to make sure it stays peaceful."

Callie found herself surprised at how disappointed she felt. "And so our evening comes to an end."

"It's not how I like for my evenings to end..." Feral replied as he stood up. "...but it comes with the job."

"How do you like them to end?"

Feral smiled. A genuine smile...before it dissolved into a smirk. Callie couldn't decide if she should be disturbed by that or not.

"Maybe we'll both find out."

Feral reached over, grasped Callie's paw in his and kissed the back of it. Callie felt herself blushing and didn't try to hide it. After holding her paw a hair longer than he should have, he let it go.

"Thank you for the lovely evening. I'll have Ms. Shu call for a car to take you home," Feral stated. "I'll keep you updated with events occurring at the embassy. I'm sure you don't want any diplomatic incidents to occur."

"No. In fact, I should be getting in touch with Mao City's Mayor as soon as I can," Callie replied, watching as Feral made his way to their room's door and opened it. "And Ulysses..."

"Hmm?"

"Be careful."

Another smile. Small, but as genuine as the first.

"Always."


	7. A Unique Advantage

Hello! New chapter time!

As Feral deals with the protest which tore him away from his date, he discovers a unique advantage of dating the deputy mayor.

Author's note: Quick turnaround huh? I wrote this in day...I think I was just glad to get my spark back.

This chapter ends the first "arc" of the story. Next one deals with additional dates and major events.

I wrote the last chapter to be mostly in Callie's point of view because I didn't want to reveal what Feral was really thinking at times. Especially to the question which starts this chapter.

As always I welcome all reviews and comments. I know I need to e-mail a few people (like Shade and Bradon) so please be patient with me!

Thanks!

AkaneKitty

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The Blind Date

A Unique Advantage

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_"How do you like them to end?"_

Feral mulled the question over in his head as he drove down the District Interchange, a freeway which connected all of Megakat City's districts together. Due to him raising the speed limit temporarily to test out traffic issues, he would be able to reach the Embassy District in mere minutes.

It was an innocent question, yet it gave him such a...visceral reaction. Was it because of how he always wanted a great evening to end or was it because of Callie herself? He wasn't sure, and it unnerved him slightly. Why now, out of all the times they've interacted, was she having such an effect on him?

Feral spotted the exit for the Embassy District and accelerated to merge into the lane, feeling the horsepower of his Cameo. He had to admit he rather enjoyed their date, more than he thought he would, even if the ending left much to be desired. Just talking to her, not to the deputy mayor, but to the she-kat herself, was a welcome change of pace. She even caught him off guard with one of her jabs. Wasn't expecting the handcuff's tease. He smirked to himself.

Well played, Briggs. Well played.

He exited the freeway, entering the Embassy District. He noted with pleasure that a perimeter had already been established when he saw Enforcers manning checkpoints at various intersectionss. Once his officers saw his car, they waved him through the barricades. Feral was glad his Enforcers knew all the cars he drove by sight.

Feral made his way toward the Mao City Embassy, slowing down considerably since the pedestrian traffic was beginning to thicken. The district was small, as Megakat City only housed a few ambassadors from the various city-states. Currently, only the embassies of the city-states of Saxton, Chartreux, Mao, and Khao Manee were open. Other city-state embassies were closed like the Russian Blue Federation or representatives visited the mayor's offices when needed.

Passing through more barricades he spotted some news vans. Feral inwardly groaned. Here he was out of uniform and in a unofficial vehicle. Knowing the local press corps, there would be questions raised but he'd deal with them when the time came.

He had more pressing matters to deal with.

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"I can't believe we've been reduced to riot squad duty."

"Well, at least this gives us something to do. What would you rather do? Mope around the garage?"

From their perch high above the streets on a building across from the Mao City Embassy, T-Bone leaned against a brick wall with crossed arms while Razor stared through his binoculars at the sea of katizens milling below him.

Since action around Megakat City had slowed to a crawl, things were very boring for the SWAT Kats. No one to save, no Deputy Mayor to flirt with...

...And no Commander to irritate.

The protest at the embassy was the first real action they'd seen in a long time. But the protest was currently peaceful, much to T-Bone's chagrin.

"Has Feral arrived yet?" T-Bone asked, detaching himself from the wall and walking over to peer over the edge of the roof with Razor. "I haven't seen his Hummer anywhere."

"The Ground Defense Major put the call out to him, so he should be here soon." Razor swept his binoculars over the crowd. "It's strange though."

"Oh?"

"When the katizens were starting to gather in front of the embassy the Ground Defense and Investigations Majors were having a bit of a debate on whether or not they should call the Commander. Something about not wanting to break his Code Nine."

"Code Nine?" T-Bone stroked his chin. "Isn't that Enforcer jargon for Do Not Disturb?"

"Do Not Disturb Unless Extremely Important. Hasn't changed since we were on the job." Razor nodded. "I guess we fit the bill, since Feral was called immediately after we showed up."

"Nice to feel wanted." T-Bone's ears pricked at the sound of a purring motor. "I hear the sound of a nice V8 engine. Can you spot it?"

"I'm looking!" Razor switched his attention from the crowd to the streets. After searching a bit, he found what he was looking for. "I see a black Cameo slowly making it's way here. It's being cleared through barricades so whoever is driving it must be important."

"Wow. It's the very expensive Special Edition, too. I wonder who's driving. Embassy officials?"

"Embassy officials don't drive Special Edition Cameos, T-Bone."

The Cameo cleared the final barricade and the Ground Defense Major, a red headed tom named Brady Callahan, jogged up to meet the car. The car rolled to a stop, and its door opened.

Both SWAT Kats blinked in shock.

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Feral stepped out of his car, smoothing his suit as he did so. Giving the crowd in front of the embassy a searching look, he was pleased to see no thrown glass bottles or rocks being hurled toward the building. An, organized, protest was being chanted in Siamese. To his relief, he couldn't pick up any calls for violence in any of the statements. So far so good.

Major Callahan threw up a salute as soon as Feral turned his attention toward him. "Sorry to break your Code Nine, sir."

"At ease, Major. It's perfectly fine. I should have suspected something like this would happen due to the earlier incident at the docks." Feral saluted back and watched Callahan visibly relax. "Sit rep?"

"Protest has been peaceful. No one has charged the barricades or harassed the riot squad," Callahan replied. "Our new Communications Major on loan from the Mao City Corsairs hasn't picked up anything bad in the Siamese chants."

"Very good."

"The Riot Squad is guarding the perimeter of the embassy, and the Special Enforcement Squad is making sure the district is contained. Air Defense is ready to provide backup." Callahan leaned forward and lowered his voice. "And our two do-gooders are on top of the building across the street."

"Of course they are." Feral sighed. "Do we have a megaphone nearby?"

"Yes, sir."

Feral nodded, "Bring it to the front of embassy."

Callahan looked confused. "Do you need the Com Major for translation sir?"

"No. I'll be fine." Feral took off his suit's jacket and tossed it back into his car, then loosened his tie. "Continue to have him listening to the crowd for incitement and inform me immediately if he even gets a hint of unrest."

"Yes sir!"

Feral turned and began to move through the crowd, using his size to part the sea of kats before him.

It was time to make a speech.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

An hour and a half later Feral, leaning against his Cameo, watched as the crowd of protesters slowly filed away from the Mao City Embassy. It was hard work, and it got testy with the protestor's leader at times, but the crowd finally broke up with the promise he would bring the company who withheld their overtime pay under investigation.

He rubbed his throat. Speaking Siamese in such a direct way could really work a tom's vocal cords. Now his throat hurt. He'd have to take care of it tonight or risk loosing his voice when he really needed it.

Reaching into his pocket, Feral took out his cell phone. He needed to inform the deputy mayor that the situation was under control. But now...it felt different somehow.

"Wow Commander! I can smell your cologne all the way up here!"

A familiar, yet irritating, voice called down to him from somewhere up in the tall trees lining the embassy's property, snapping Feral out his thoughts. He sighed to himself. Of course they would still be here, only a little closer now so they could heckle him.

"Let's see...Nice car, nice suit...You even shaved!" Razor continued from somewhere in the trees. "I'm impressed."

Feral put away his cell phone. There was no way he would call Callie in front of these idiots. "What do you want SWAT Kat?"

"Just wanted to get a better look at you. You cleaned up real nice!" The smug tone in T-Bone's voice made Feral wish he could ring the SWAT Kat's neck. "What's the occasion?"

"...None of your concern."

"I know! You must have had a date with some she-kat!" T-Bone continued. "What about it, Commander? Did you have a date? Was she hot?"

A sudden vision of Callie in the purple number she called a dress crossed Feral's mind and suddenly he felt himself smirking. "...Yeah, she was hot."

"...Eh?"

"Not the answer you were looking for SWAT Kat?" Despite his sore throat Feral dropped his voice a half octave. While she-kats tended to love it, it had a tendency to make toms uneasy. "Did you honestly think I'd dress myself up and show off my car for nothing?"

More uneasy silence came from the trees. Feral continued to smirk.

"How about this: Since you both have nothing better to do than harass me, why don't you make sure the crowd disperses completely? That way I can get back to my date."

"W-Wait a minute..." T-Bone sputtered.

"You two always say you can do a better job than I so why don't you prove it?" Feral opened his car door and slid inside. "I think it's a fine trade-off. You do all the work, I get to date the hot she-kat."

Not bothering to wait for any retorts Feral slammed the door shut, slid his key into the ignition and waited as his Cameo roared to life.

Of course he wouldn't visit Callie at this time, but the SWAT Kats didn't have to know that.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Callie stared at her cell phone.

Here she was, dressed in her purple workout outfit, sitting in the living room of her condo, staring at her phone instead of the TV like she should be doing. News reports stated that the protestors in front of the embassy were leaving without incident, which meant she could address the press tomorrow thankfully.

Should she call Feral? No, better to wait for his report. He did say he'd call. Callie fidgeted. Kats! Why did she feel like she was back in high school, sitting by the phone all day waiting for a tom to call?

He's just the Commander...No. He's Ulysses, Calico. And you're worried about him because you actually took the time to get know him a bit more a few hours ago.

The cell phone finally rung, and Callie grabbed it a bit too quickly. A number she didn't recognize came up on the display, but she decided to answer regardless. Not too many kats knew her personal number nor would they call her so late without cause if they valued their nine lives.

"Briggs."

"Calico. It's Ulysses. Just calling to report in."

Callie took a brief look at her phone's display again. "Hmm...This isn't your usual number."

"No. It's my personal line. I figure since we have to go through these dates, it's best to discuss them on our private lines. This way we can keep city and Enforcer business on their respective lines."

"'I'm betting not too many kats have this line."

"You'd be right. Only family and some of my friends." Callie heard a slight chuckle in Feral's voice. "It'll be nice to have someone other than Bombay call me though."

"I feel special."

"Aren't you?" Feral's voice took on a serious tone. "As reported by the news, the protestors have gone home. I'm keeping the riot squad and the special enforcement squad in the embassy district just to keep an eye on things. No personal or property damage reported."

"What caused the protest?"

"Siamese dockworkers not getting their overtime pay. Turns out they feel ripped off because their company, originating out of Mao City, closed down without warning. They want the ambassador to do something about it."

"I see."

"I promised their leader that I'll conduct an investigation into the matter. It did sound fishy." Feral sighed. "So I'll be chatting with the Commander of the Corsairs tomorrow."

"And I need to chat with the Mao City ambassador and mayor." Callie paused as she heard Feral clear his throat. "...Your voice sounds bad."

"I've been speaking Siamese for over an hour. It's rough on the throat of a nonnative speaker."

"You should make a Hot Toddy with lemon and honey. It'll soothe your throat."

"Fussing over me already?" Feral teased. "I think I like it."

"I can't have my Commander lose his voice when he needs it." Callie gently chided him. "And get some rest. Some of us have to be awake with the Mao City Mayor's office opens."

"...I thought we were supposed to fall asleep talking on the phone."

"Oh hush and fix the drink!"


	8. Rivalry

Hey everyone! New chapter time!

A day after her date, an ill timed visit by a by a couple of nosy reporters put Callie on edge.

Author's note: Long time no chapter! Been busy with my girls.

Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm glad people are liking my Callie/Feral stories.

This story introduces a rival of sorts for Callie, since Feral's already battling with the SWAT Kats.

As always, I welcome all questions and reviews. Enjoy!

Thanks!

AkaneKitty

oOo oOo oOo oOo

The Blind Date:

Rivalry

oOo oOo oOo oOo

_City Hall_

Finally catching a break Callie stretched at her desk, loosening her shoulders.

It had been a long and tiring morning. Conference calls to her peer in Mao City, a meeting with the Mao City ambassador, as well as a brief chat with the leader of the protestors.

The situation had mostly been resolved to her liking. Mao City officials were deeply embarrassed by the behavior of their out of town businesses. They promised to pay for any damages caused by the protests as well as the fire, if it was proven to be arson. They also allowed the embassy to grant workers displaced by the factory, closing passage back to Mao City if they desired it. Finally they would also allow the Corsairs to exchange information with the Enforcers.

After her stretch she looked up to see Dani enter her office, holding two cups of coffee. She knew her young assistant was dying for information about her date, but she handled the mini crisis like a pro, never deviating from her work.

Waiting until her mug was in front of her Callie took a sip, feeling the slight caffeine rush before placing the cup on her desk.

"Okay Dani."

"How did it go?" Dani asked in one breath, completely ignoring her own cup of coffee for the moment.

"Surprisingly, it was great." Callie deliberately took another sip of coffee, knowing Dani wanted more information.

"I want details!"

"Okay, okay. My date took me to the Paper Lantern. I ate way too much Peking duck but I don't regret it." Callie looked thoughtful for a moment before turning her attention back to her coffee. "I had fun."

"The Paper Lantern...Isn't that place ridiculously expensive? And have a long waiting list?" Dani asked, perching herself on Callie's desk. "My business society at MCU was going to pool our money together to give ourselves a nice end of semester dinner. But we got the feeling it would be way too much for us."

"I wouldn't know how expensive it is." Callie replied. "They don't list their prices on the menu."

"Really? Wow."

"I was lucky I had a tom who could pay the bill without flinching." Callie smiled to herself, remembering Feral's statements. "Let me tell you something: It was nice to have a tom not care what you ordered. Most of the time, they're either grinding their teeth when the bill comes or putting our city auditor on the spot by stopping by and filling out an itemized budget list."

Dani paused to digest the information. "So...who's the lucky tom? If you can say, that is."

Callie hesitated. While she didn't explicitly discuss with Feral about who should know about their dates, she got the feeling it would be best they should keep them as secret as possible. Less interference that way. Yet she would probably need someone to cover for her. She came to a decision.

"Dani, I'm going to tell you, but you may not breathe a word of this to anyone else. Now lean in close, the walls have ears around here."

Dani leaned in and Callie whispered into her ear. Danni's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way!"

"Mmm, hmm. I guess the Altruism Society wanted to make him work for their charity this year."

"Well, at least that explains why he was wearing a suit instead of his uniform last night."

Callie nodded, finishing off her coffee. "He was a nice and refreshing date. And in hindsight I'm glad it was him than some other tom I could have gotten saddled with. That could have been scary."

Dani was about to reply when a knock on Callie's office door interrupted her. Hopping off the desk she quickly strode over to the door and opened it, only to find the Enforcer in charge of city hall security standing there. He passed her a nicely wrapped package.

"Delivery for Deputy Mayor Briggs. It's been scanned per regulations."

"Thank you officer."

After closing the door Dani walked back to Callie's desk, looking over the package before handing it over to her boss. "Looks expensive."

"Doesn't it?" Callie gave the package a slight shake before proceeding to open it. Dani looked at the delivery receipt which came with the box.

"It says it's from Sugarplum Confections. Don't they only import from Charteaux?"

"Yep. Best pastry and candy makers in the world. And if this is something sweet I'll..." Callie, after finally opening the box, stared at its contents. "There goes my diet."

Inside the box was what appeared to be individually wrapped candies. Callie rifled the box, selecting one and grabbing a note card tucked inside before offering some to Dani.

"It says 'Sorry for leaving so abruptly.'" Callie smiled. The note card wasn't signed but she knew Feral had sent it. "He didn't have to do this."

"But it's romantic!" Dani popped a candy into her mouth. "Mmm...Chocolate covered caramels."

"Thanks for waiting, Dani."

"I'm just trying to keep you on your diet. Or we could start running again to keep you in shape."

"But I'll have to get so early in the morning!" Sighing in resignation, Callie tossed a candy into her mouth and savored it. "But If I keep receiving gifts like these all the time, I'll probably have to."

"What sort of gift?"

Callie forced herself to not roll her eyes as Ann Gora strolled into her office. She liked Ann, but she was always wary of her methods of obtaining a potential story. Her barging into an office without knocking and without being announced was one way of catching someone in the act.

Behind her was not her trusted and longtime camerakat Jonny but a reporter for the Megakat Times newspaper, Lyssa Monet. A willowy-built, peach colored, she-kat with rich brown hair and impeccable fashion sense, Lyssa worked as the newspaper's senior society writer. The Times dedicated a whole pull out section in their newspaper to follow the personal lives of Megakat City's upper crust katizens, as well as their politicians.

On a good day Callie called Monet a gossip columnist. On bad days she called her a tabloid reporter.

Fixing a neutral smile on her face, Callie extended the box of chocolates toward the pair of reporters. "Chocolate covered caramels. Want some?"

Both Ann and Lyssa eagerly stepped forward and selected a piece of candy. As Ann was unwrapping hers, Lyssa studied the wrapping. "These are from Sugarplum Confections. They import from Charteaux and are very expensive. Who are they from?"

Callie kept the neutral smile on her face. "A friend."

"A friend? C'mon Callie! A friend doesn't just send you expensive chocolates," Ann pressed. "Off the record, who sent them?"

"A friend." Callie continued to smile. "So what brings you two by?"

Ann noted the finality in Callie's tone of voice and decided to drop that line of questioning for now. Instead, she produced a small tape recorder from a pocket. "I've been collecting quotes about the outcome of last night's protest for the evening news. Anything you'd like to add?"

"The mayor's office is pleased the protests were without incident. We have talked with Mao City officials and are satisfied with their response," Callie replied. "All that's left is waiting for the Enforcers to complete their investigation into the matter."

"Speaking of Enforcers, did you notice Commander Feral last night? His suit was stunning," Lyssa piped up as Ann put her tape recorder away. "I've only seen that style of suit in Saxton, and it's the hottest thing in tom fashion this year."

Callie forced herself not to roll her eyes again. "Is there a question for me Ms. Monet?"

"Sure. The Gala season is coming up soon, starting with an Altruism Society red carpet event. I was wondering what you thought your Gala style would be this year."

"...My style?"

"If I were to describe your Gala style these past few years in one word it would be safe."

Callie blinked, thrown completely out of her element. "...Safe?"

"Safe. As in boring. You're not a big risk taker when it comes to fashion Ms. Briggs." Lyssa's smile turned slightly predatory. "Maybe that's why you haven't had any toms send you expensive chocolates in while. Or maybe you're just too intimidating for them."

Squelching an immediate urge to ring Lyssa's neck, Callie rose as gracefully as she could from her seat. "I believe this impromptu interview is over. Dani, please escort these two intrepid reporters out of my office."

As Dani stepped forward to usher the pair out of the office, Callie sat back down in her seat and spun around to face the window. She sighed.

What greatly annoyed her was the fact the tabloid report might be right.

oOo oOo oOo oOo

_Megakat Times Offices_

"...I've never been thrown out of the Deputy Mayor's office before." Ann's expression was pensive.

"Really? Wasn't it fun though?"

A few hours after leaving Callie's office Ann watched Lyssa work on the layout of the Megakat Times' Society insert. While the senior reporter didn't have the biggest office in the building, it was in a corner and provided a nice view of downtown. The office was crammed with boxes reaching to the ceiling, and pictures competed for space on her walls. Currently on her desk were pictures of the Commander, the Deputy Mayor, and various other high profile katizens. Lyssa was working on a preview for the Gala season.

Stifling a sigh, Ann let herself be distracted by Lyssa's work. She would have liked to consider Callie a friend, but was she really? She was a reporter who ferreted out stories and scandals. Callie would always have to be on her guard with her, no matter the circumstances. And now Callie was noticeably offended by Lyssa's line of questioning.

"I don't think the Deputy Mayor likes you very much." Ann stated after a moment.

"She still hasn't forgiven me for outing the council member who was siphoning district funds to play with his mistress. I slapped her cold with the info at a press conference without warning." Lyssa smiled and held up a picture of Callie from last year's casino night. "I only found out when the mistress went from wearing discount designs to wearing Puma."

"I see."

Lyssa glanced over at Ann before returning her attention back to her work. "Beginning to regret asking me to come with you to visit Ms. Briggs?"

"It's been so boring lately! I was hoping I could shake loose something interesting regarding the Gala season," Ann admitted. "But it may have cost me a close acquaintance."

"There are no friends with the kats we build stories on Annie. We report, we question, we expose." Lyssa shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe your next award winning story is about exposing something illicit about Ms. Briggs?"

"I doubt that. She's too dedicated to the city. Manx on the other paw..."

"You never know. Take this new 'friend' of hers. I bet you could build a story out of that."

"Isn't exposing the relationships of prominent katizens your area of expertise?"

"It is. But just imagine the fallout of Ms. Briggs and her friend dating!"

"Oh?"

Eyes gleaming, Lyssa leaned forward across her desk. "Imagine if Ms. Briggs' friend was peer or a very successful businesskat from another city? Could he use her office to make himself or his city profitable?"

"Ah..."

"And if the friend is some tom from around here? A power shift occurs. They become a power couple and Megakat City's political climate changes dramatically."

Ann sat back in her chair. "I see where you're going with this."

"The tom has to be on her level. I wasn't being bitchy when I called Ms. Briggs intimidating. There are few toms in this city and abroad who could match her power wise. Everyone else is just peasants compared to her."

"Who could match her here?"

"There are a few businesskats who can throw a lot of money around, but I think most of them are in long term relationships." Lyssa looked thoughtful. "Then there's the Civil Service Quartet. I know they're all single."

"Quartet?"

"Fire/Rescue Chief Bombay, Megakat City Memorial Chief of Staff Dr. Sphynx, District Attorney Mau, and last but not least Commander Feral."

Ann smacked her head with her paw. "Oh that's right. They usual show up to all city functions together."

"Of those four, only Feral has enough power. His power matches Ms. Briggs'. And even though he typically follows her lead on things, he can tell her no. We've seen the power struggles when it happens." Lyssa looked thoughtful again. "Those two getting together would turn Megakat City on its ear. She writes the law, he enforces the law. Can't top it."

Ann silently pondered the possibly, and Lyssa saw wheels turning in her head. "Hey, since nothing really exciting is going on, why not join me on the Gala circuit this year? Good food and rub elbows with MKC's elite. Plus you might get the chance to ferret out the deputy mayor's friend."

"And the catch?"

"I get to show up on Kat's Eye News as your guest from time to time. I know your Society Reporter just quit." Lyssa smiled, extending her paw. "Deal?"

Ann also smiled despite herself. She shook Lyssa's paw.

"Deal."


End file.
